I have an outback with old style rudder. I find steering somewhat counter intuitive, especially when sailing, because I'm so used to tiller steering in sailboats. Has anyone tried reversing the lines at the rudder to make the steering handle behave like a tiller (point handle opposite direction of the turn, like a normal boat tiller)? Would this cause too much wear on the lines where they exit the hull at the rear?Bartman49

Another TI sailor (nicnrob) has done this, swapping the lines inside the hull. Do a search on him as author and you may find a posting.As it was on a TI the actual mechanics may differ but he uses Hakas and a tiller extension and appreciates the tiller type steering.I flew to Canberra in Aus on the weekend to sail with Rob but there was no wind so we left off the sail and amas and pedalled for a couple of hours. I grabben the helm while he was busy as we were drifting towards the mangroves and turned the helm. Woops, now heading more towards the mangroves, as my TI is still standard direction steering. I do find though, when using the tiller extension, having the direction swapped is more natural.Just check that crossing the lines does not rub too much on the exit holes. You may find it is better to do this inside the hull.

Thanks ChangemanI searched for nicnrob but couldn't find any posts at all by him. At least you've given me an idea for how to proceed. As I look at the rudder lines, just crossing them at the stern would likely cause too much chafing. I'll have to see if I can find some diagrams of how the steering system works.Bart (Bartman49)

Hi Bart.Try searching for nicnrob under Hobie Island forums. Select that from the froum selection drop down after scrolling down a fair way.Otherwise, plug this URL into your browser.viewtopic.php?f=69&t=41310&p=168656#p168656

Having said all that, a quick glance at the post appears to be on the tiller extensions. I know Rob found it difficult to track the control lines, just hard to see through that 8" hole. Try taking lots of photos with a digital camera and it should reveal if you can swap the lines. Your dealer may know as well.Good Luck.Brian